Disco Ball

Sara-Grace is 9.  True to her astrology, she is an amazing Gemini-sort of combination of sweet and tough.  Having spent her whole life trying to keep with with two older sisters (13 and 16), Sara-Grace is beyond her years.  This same experience has also made her pretty adept at getting what she wants!

When I cleaned out the storage shed/playhouse, Sara-Grace decided it was time for a slumber party -- IN the playhouse.  Of course.  She began making plans:  charts, drawings, invitations, grocery lists, and entertainment schedules!  Clearly, she is a much better event planner than I am! 

One thing this party definitely needed, she decided, was a disco ball.  "Good luck!" I told her, rather insensitively, as I have never seen a disco ball available for sale -- ever.  I suspected that they are quite expensive and I had no money to donate to the cause.  I secretly hoped she would drop the issue. 

Undaunted, Sara-Grace decided to MAKE a disco ball.  She got an old basketball and some of the pieces of broken mirror that I was saving for my mosaic artist friend, Vanessa (go to http://www.happinessisabutterfly.blogspot.com/ and see all her amazing creations!) and went to work. 

She got a hammer and a towel to wrap the mirror in and commenced to smashing until she had small enough pieces.  When the Elmer's glue didn't work, I went down to the city hazarous waste drop-off facility and got her a free tub of mastic.  For several days she worked intermittently (though diligently) on her disco ball. 

I'll admit, I wasn't very supportive.  I gave her mastic and a little guidance when she needed it (don't get mastic on the table and wear shoes around the broken mirror dust) but, for the most part, I was not a believer and expected the who project to be a exercise in futility.  I was wrong.

This is Sara-Grace's masterpiece:

I think I like it even more than she does!  It's just sculptural and textural and, of course, completely free and recycled and just plain cool!  I'm hoping she'll let me use it in the living room!

Just for fun, here is another view of it:

I wonder what project she'll come up with next?  Next time I'll be on the edge of my seat to see what her idea is and how it comes out!

The slumber party, by the way, was a smashing success!